Chosen Mate (Catamount Lion Shifters #2) (17 page)
Read Chosen Mate (Catamount Lion Shifters #2) Online
Authors: J.H. Croix
“Where should I drop you off?”
She turned to him. When her gorgeous blue eyes collided with his, she flushed, uncertainty flashing in the depths of blue. She bit her lip, and a jolt of lust hit him. Noah didn’t know what had come over him, but his body had all kinds of things to say about Lily. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d even noticed a woman. He’d done his share of dating, but nothing ever went beyond light and easy. After the nightmare of watching the devastation his father wrought on his mother, he didn’t believe in the fairy tale of love and romance. Hence, he threw himself into his career and kept relationships superficial. The effect Lily was having on him was—unusual. He wanted to know what lay behind those flickers of uncertainty. His body wanted to tug the bundle of her—lush curves and softness—into his lap and kiss her senseless.
He shackled his urges and focused on the moment. “You can drop me off at my brother’s office,” she finally said.
The light changed and he drove through the intersection, turning toward the center of downtown where Jake’s office was. “You work with Jake?”
She shook her head. “Not really. Sometimes I help him with projects.”
“I know Jake’s does something with computers, but what do you do?”
“Jake does coding, website building and is what most people call a forensic computer expert. Short description: he can hack like nobody’s business, but he keeps it legal. I work in the same field, but we do different things. I work the other side of hacking by identifying network vulnerabilities and helping create fixes. I freelance and mostly work from home. When Jake needs extra help on something, he usually calls me.”
“Damn. Guess you could say being brilliant runs in the family, huh?”
Noah pulled up in front of Jake’s office as he said this. He turned to Lily. Her cheeks were flushed again. She shrugged, still twirling that lock of hair around her finger. “Not really. We both like computers though.” She glanced toward Jake’s office and back to Noah. “So, um, do you want me to see if Jake can deal with the tire?”
Noah couldn’t explain it, but there was no way he was giving up the chance to see her again. Even if seeing her only meant picking her up with the repaired tire and returning her to her car. “Nah. I got it. How long were you planning on being in town today?”
“I hadn’t really planned much. What time were you thinking of heading back out?”
“I have a few errands to run, but I should be done this afternoon. How about I pick you up around two?” He left out that what he would be doing for most of the day was sitting with his mother while she got her latest round of chemotherapy.
Lily nodded. “Sure. That’ll work.” She moved to get out of the car. “Oh, I have to get my phone!”
She climbed out and looked under the seat. Noah watched her for a moment and leaned down to see if he could find her phone. Just as his hand closed over it, all the way over to the driver’s side, he looked up to say something and found Lily’s face inches from his.
Her blue eyes widened when he met her gaze. The flush simmering under the surface of her skin flared on her cheeks. Her lips, plump and an almost perfect bow shape, were so tempting, his breath hitched and pulse pounded. His eyes, clearly under their own control, flicked down. She wore a scoop neck shirt, which hung forward since she had leaned over. The generous curves of her breasts were on display, a glimpse of blue lace teased him.
Holy hell.
Her ivory skin was taut. He could see the beat of her pulse in her neck.
She froze and suddenly scrambled away. His body literally ached for a split second. He’d come so close to touching her, the loss of the chance was a sharp pang. He forced himself to take a breath before he sat up. He held his palm out, her phone on it. “Here you go. So, uh, I’ll see you this afternoon?”
Lily brushed her hair back, tucking those honeyed locks behind her ears, and pulled her jacket together in front, hiding her delectable breasts from his view. He doubted she had a clue the effect she had on him. It was like a lightning bolt out of nowhere. He was beyond relieved he was sitting down with his jacket covering the bulge in his pants. She nodded quickly and snagged her purse. She turned to leave when he realized she hadn’t taken her phone from him.
“Hey, did you want your phone?”
She whirled back. “Oh! Yes, yes, of course.” She reached out, her fingers brushing his when she took the phone. “See you in a little bit. Thanks for the ride.” She turned away quickly and all but ran up the walkway to her brother’s office.
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Fated Mate
(Catamount Lion Shifters, Book 3)
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Catamount Lion Shifters
Protected Mate
Chosen Mate
Fated Mate
Destined Mate
Diamond Creek Alaska Novels
Last Frontier Lodge Novels
Christmas on the Last Frontier
Acknowledgements
To my husband for cheering on my writing every step of the way, especially when I’m tapping away on my keyboard. Gracious thanks to Laura Kingsley who holds me to a high standard with her editing and makes my writing better every time. Clarise Tan at CT Cover Creations weaves magic with my covers. A standing ovation to my readers—thank you, thank you, thank you!
Author Biography
Bestselling author J. H. Croix lives in a small town in the historical farmlands of Maine with her husband and two spoiled dogs. Croix writes sexy contemporary romance and steamy paranormal romance with strong independent women and rugged alpha men who aren't afraid to show some emotion. Her love for quirky small-towns and the characters that inhabit them shines through in her writing. Take a walk on the wild side of romance with her bestselling novels!
